Ottawa police are in the midst of a three-day crackdown on noise, drinking and other rowdy behaviour dubbed the "Nuisance Enforcement Project."
The weekend-long operation is focusing on certain areas of the city where those activities are problems, such as the Byward Market.
"We need a bigger police presence, that's for sure," said Drew Colleoi, who has lived in the Market for 14 years. "Especially on the weekend on Thursday, Friday, Saturday this place becomes a ruckus."
"I see people walking (that are) obviously on narcotics, dancing in the middle of the street at all hours," said University of Ottawa student Keira Norris.
Police said they hear the concerns raised by visitors, vendors and residents and patrol the Market by foot, bike and car.
"We take those complaints seriously," said Insp. Uday Jaswal. "We run these projects in response to those complaints and we continue to monitor those on an ongoing basis."
"There's a lot of pan handlers, there's a lot of thefts from this store," said another officer. "We try and come as often as possible so they can see police presence."
Other areas police are focusing on through the weekend include Lowertown, Sandy Hill, Vanier and Centretown.
The project comes a few weeks after the City of Ottawa announced its bylaw officers will be patrolling later on weekends through the summer and tougher noise bylaws would be in effect.
Police are expected to announce results of the crackdown on Monday morning.
"We want people to come down and enjoy the entertainment district," said Jaswal. "This is also about conduct. We want people to respect the residents who live here, the businesses."
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Stefanie Masotti
